“The revolution’s about to be televised. You picked the right time by the wrong guy,” stated Kendrick Lamar during his 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance.
After winning two grammys for his diss track, “Not Like Us” hating on Drake, it was clear that was only the start of his revolution.
In today’s society, music has become an outlet for emotion and entertainment, instead of being an outlet to speak on controversial topics that need to be brought to light. Lamar has brought music back to its roots through one single performance. However, some viewers are still not quite grasping the true meaning and intentions behind every detail of this performance.
One of the many examples of symbolism implemented in this halftime show, was the colors and portrayal of the American flag. It was stated on Newsweek.com that “the dancers dressed in red, white, and blue, created formations that resembled the American flag. Times of India reported that at one point, Lamar himself stood at the center, seemingly dividing them, a visual metaphor for America’s ongoing racial and political divisions.”
To coincide with this form of symbolism, Lamar “broke the fourth wall” and addressed the audience by stating “They tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence” stated on Newsweek.com.
When light was shed on the influence black artists have despite the country still being rooted in racism and political disagreements, President Donald Trump was not pleased.
On Newsweek.com, a political influencer stated that, “Kendrick Lamar dissed [President Donald] Trump and protested the United States in front of him and Trump got scared and left the Super Bowl early. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”
His movement already causing an influence on the President of the United States was shocking to many people.
His agenda was reaching the hearts and minds of those that don’t even listen to his music. A writer on TheBaltimoreBanner.com, shared, “Still, my unfamiliarity with Lamar’s songs did not stop me from understanding immediately the timeliness of the images and the lyrics.”
However, this was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what he spoke out on in that single performance.
On top of the American Flag and breaking the fourth wall, Samuel L. Jackson’s appearance proved to be the most direct way Lamar spoke out. Jackson portrayed himself as “Uncle Sam”, a man that typically represents the United States.
“He played a literal government figurehead there to ‘try’ to stop Kendrick from spreading his messages, warning Kendrick about being ‘too loud, too reckless, too ghetto’” stated an article on nofilmschool.com.
This statement was the most prominent message in his performance. Jackson’s phrases and words towards Lamar were stated in order to portray the stereotypes surrounding black artists and show the audience the harsh reality black artists go through every day to get their name out there.
“I want to perform their song, but you know they love to sue” was one of the last things the audience heard before Drake’s life was continuously dragged in yet another performance of ‘Not Like Us’ to conclude Lamar’s revolutionary performance.
